Scissors for Lefty and Suffrajett open for Juliette Lewis' band

Juliette Lewis and the Licks with special guests, Scissors for Lefty, and Suffrajett will perform Dec. 1 at Club Underground, 555 E. Fourth St.

Doors are scheduled at 8 p.m. with the show starting at 9 p.m.
Tickets are on-sale now and are $12 in advance and $14 at the door.

Tickets can be purchased at Recycled Records in Reno, Out of Bounds in Carson City and Reno, Mad About Music in Tahoe by phone 866.468.3399 or online at ticketweb.com.

Juliette and the Licks
Four on the Floor (The Militia Group)

Juliette Lewis – Vocals
Todd Morse – Guitar
Kemble Walters – Guitar
Jason Womack – Bass
Ed Davis - Drums

“The prototype for a female is they’re desirable, pretty to look at, predictable and safe,” says Juliette Lewis. “That’s why my music is so important to me – it’s the antithesis of that, it breaks the mold.”

Such a statement should come as little surprise to anyone who has been caught up in the full heat and sweat of a Licks’ live performance. This very forum, the stage, is the ideal setting to witness Juliette emanate the same elemental energy and disregard for convention she’s done her whole life.

Despite a long-established film career where she’s played some of celluloid’s most complex and striking heroines, music has always been a constant for Juliette, whether listening to Steely Dan and The Who at age nine with her father, discovering Black Flag and Iron Maiden with her brothers, or playing Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Chile over and over on the set of Natural Born Killers.

In 2003, Juliette formed Juliette and the Licks, a five-piece outfit whose guitarists, Todd Morse (from NY hardcore act H20) and Kemble Walters would prove a constant in its fledgling, revolving line-ups. Deciding that the live arena would be the best way for the band to discover its identity, J&TL hit the road appearing on the Vans Warped Tour in 2004 as well as opening for acts as diverse as Turbonegro, Social Distortion and Courtney Love.

The following year brought with it a hurricane of activity that saw the band’s first studio releases Like a Bolt of Lightening EP in February, swiftly followed by self-produced debut full-length, You’re Speaking My Language in May, while a relentless touring schedule saw them play to over 500,000 people in more than 20 countries.

While the records showcased a growing diversity to the Licks’ sound, the band was proving to be one concentrated burst of undisputed attitude and adrenaline, with their front-woman as its crackling nerve-center.

Grohl bangs the skins
The Licks crossed paths with many during their International travels and as luck would have it, one such encounter played an integral role in shaping their sophomore album. The end of 2005 came with the departure of Licks’ drummer and in stepped Foo Fighters' frontman and former Nirvana drummer, Dave Grohl. Originally brought in to play on demos, Grohl extended his stay for the album while they recorded at his 606 Studio in California.

The latest album
While the presence of one of the greatest drummers in rock could only be a bonus, Four on the Floor demonstrates the Licks’ new levels of confidence, chemistry, songwriting chops and kick-ass rock thrills. Deriving its title from both a timeless drumbeat and a racing term for power and speed, the Dylan McLaren-produced album is as deeply connected to the raw, physicality of live performance as it is to blistering song writing hooks. Not to mention a roller coaster of hot-blooded, emotional intensity.

Overall, the record is a testament to the musicianship of the Licks as a band, a fully functioning entity, who give their heated amps such a broad palette of expression, as convincing as the Who-inspired exuberance of Get Up, the dirty Stones swagger of Hot Kiss, or the breezy pop rush of Sticky Honey.

Whatever else Juliette and the Licks may bring this year, the following months look set to be a particularly wild ride for both the band and anyone caught in their incendiary path.

For more details, visit www.julietteandthelicks.com